This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
A scroll compressor can compress a fluid from a suction pressure to a discharge pressure greater than the suction pressure. The scroll compressor can use a non-orbiting scroll member and an orbiting scroll member, each having a wrap positioned in meshing engagement with one another. The relative movement between the scroll members causes the fluid pressure to increase as the fluid moves from the suction port to the discharge port. To improve efficiency, the orbiting and non-orbiting scroll members are designed to be in a uniform, but light, contact with each other to maintain sealing therebetween.
Radial compliance of a scroll compressor allows for sealing of the wraps during compressor operation by enabling them to touch each other by compensating the effect of misalignment or shaft and bearing deflection. While scroll inertial force brings the wraps together, at certain compressor sizes and operational conditions, the scroll inertial force may result in friction and power loss.
A radial sealing force between a wrap of the non-orbiting scroll and a wrap of the orbiting scroll may be provided by a centrifugal force generated by orbiting movement of the orbiting scroll. The centrifugal force of the orbiting scroll may be related to a rotating speed of a drive mechanism that drives the orbiting scroll (e.g., a motor). Therefore, when the rotating speed of the motor is relatively low, the radial sealing force may be too small to provide effective sealing of compression chambers between the wraps. Further, when the rotating speed of the motor is sufficiently high, the radial sealing force may be high enough to damage the wraps.